An example of a manually activated fire alarm component is a

• A. Thermally sensitive device
• B. Flame detector
• C. Pull station
• D. Water flow detector

Answer: (C)

Manual activation means a person must take action to start the alarm. A pull station is a wall-mounted device that you physically pull (or push a lever) to initiate the alarm. When activated, it sends a signal to the fire alarm control panel, which then triggers the building’s audible alarms and notification systems. This is the example of a manually activated component because it relies on a person’s action to begin the alarm.

In contrast, the other devices are automatic initiators. A thermally sensitive device responds to high heat, a flame detector looks for flame presence, and a water flow detector senses movement of water in the sprinkler system after sprinklers have released water. These trigger alarms without any human action.